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Category: Professional Development

MLC 2025 – Registration Open! Keynotes Announced!

Posted in Academic Libraries, Board, Conference, Library Technicians, Membership, Professional Development, Public Libraries, School Libraries, Special Libraries, and Trustees

Manitoba Libraries Conference 2025 has opened registration for librarians, library workers, library board members and trustees, authors, publishers, business professionals, educators and students – anyone who is passionate about books, libraries, and eager to learn and shape the future of this incredible profession and service.

It’s our first in-person conference in years and we are excited to reconnect, revisit, and reinspire. We can’t wait to see you!

Early bird registration is now open!

  • Are you an institutional member? Your institution will need to register for you in bulk. For bulk registration by institutions or for invoicing please contact us.
  • Are you interested in attending but have barriers?
    Check out information about our Conference Bursary. You can apply for a bursary here: here.

Keynotes have been announced!

  • We are thrilled to have award-winning writer, editor and professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba, Niigaan Sinclair as our opening keynote on Tuesday, May 6 at 1:00 pm
  • Fresh from being named Canada’s Parliamentary Poet Laureate, Chimwemwe Undi will join us at our Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May 7 at 12:00 pm
  • And how lucky are we? We will be entertained by Anne-Marie Williott and Ian Cherry as our wandering minstrels during our Wine & Cheese event in our Exhibitor Hall on Tuesday, May 6 at 4:30 pm

Stay tuned for more updates about the programming, special events, and our popular Exhibit Hall!
Our conference website is updated regularly: conference.mla.mb.ca/

Manitoba Libraries Conference – Call for Program Proposals!

Posted in Academic Libraries, Conference, Library Technicians, Membership, Professional Development, Public Libraries, School Libraries, Special Libraries, and Trustees

What Have You Been Up To? Let’s Reconnect! 

The Manitoba  Libraries Conference will take place May 6-7, 2025 at the RBC Convention Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba. 

We are inviting a Call For Proposals until December 20, 2024

We are excited for our first in-person conference in 6 years and we want to invite you to join us as we reconnect, revisit, and reinspire

We are all responding to rapid technological changes (Hello AI), and social challenges. This is our opportunity to share our experiences, thoughts, knowledge, and (sometimes hard-earned) wisdom with colleagues.

Please consider putting forward a proposal using this Google Form. 

We have many colleagues in a variety of professional settings throughout our province and they’d love to see you and hear from you. We encourage you to submit session proposals in the public, academic and special library stream. We need everyone represented.

In challenging times, we are better together.

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Proposals can include: Lightning Talks (7-8 minutes); Presentations, Panels and Workshops; (20, 50 or 110 minutes)

Still can’t decide? A little unsure about what (and how) to present? 

Here are some tips from the BCLA: 

Conference Presentation: Better Practices

(Note the PDF slides in the first video are super helpful.

Submit your proposal today! 

Questions? Please reach out to Kirsten Wurmann, MLA Program Coordinator: kirsten.w@mla.mb.ca 

Artificial Intelligence in the Library: a roadmap to understanding and implementation

Posted in Academic Libraries, Professional Development, Public Libraries, School Libraries, Special Libraries, and Trustees

Please join us September 9 from 9:30-11:00am as we host public library administrator, technology consultant, and author Nick Tanzi, for a virtual talk about artificial intelligence and its implications for libraries.
We’re told the age of A.I. is upon us, but what does that mean for our libraries? This webinar will help demystify artificial intelligence and explain how it will change the library landscape. Attendees will be offered specific actions they can take to proactively adapt services, policy, and programming that address this new technological environment.

Nick has authored Making the Most of Digital Collections Through Training and Outreach (2016) and Best Technologies for Public Libraries: Policies, Programs, and Services (2020). He is also a past column editor for Public Library Magazine’s “The Wired Library”, and has been published in Computers in Libraries, Library Journal, American Libraries, and Marketing Library Services. His work also includes professional development workshops, keynote presentations, and talks in the U.S. and abroad, for a variety of library organizations. Nick is the assistant director of the South Huntington Public Library in New York, and has worked in public libraries for 25 years. The focus of Nick’s work is the intersection of libraries and technology, and his speaking approach is one that is light and conversational, and avoids unnecessary jargon.

This webinar is free for MLA members,  who will also have access to the recording and a PDF of slides following the presentation.

The event is $40.00 for non-members.
To become a MLA member, use this linkTo attend as a non-member, donate 40$ via MLA’s  PayPal account (left hand menu on our website – direct donation to: “A.I. Event”).

The instructions for attending the webinar will be sent out to confirmed registrants the week of September 2.

We’re excited to bring you this thought provoking and timely event!

Register here for the event: https://buff.ly/3zmLay5

Public Library Safety & Security Toolkit – Recording posted to MLA YouTube channel

Posted in Professional Development, Public Libraries, and Safety

On April 22, the Manitoba Library Association alongside the Canadian Urban Libraries Council/Conseil des bibliothèques urbaines du Canada presented to our membership the Public Library Safety and Security Toolkit.

This presentation was recorded and is now available to be shared with anyone who missed the day, or would like to share it with staff.

Please visit out Manitoba Library Association YouTube channel for the 45 minute video presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgMqzZSj81c&t=3s
Transcripts are also available.

For all virtual presentations, check out our website here: https://mla.mb.ca/professional-development/webinars/

Manitoba Libraries: Supporting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Training Workshop Series

Posted in Board, Library Technicians, Membership, Professional Development, and Trustees

Attention members! Another great training opportunity for you!

These workshop sessions will be presented by Laurelle Harris, Equitable Solutions

March 4, 2024 (10 am – 12 pm via Zoom) Introduction to +Anti-racism and Equity

March 18, 2024 (10 am – 12 pm via Zoom) The Library as a Site for Social Justice – Putting It All Together: Supporting Equity

Training is FREE for MLA members – there is an option to sign up for membership to get the training for free – otherwise it is $20 per person/per session.

Attendance at both sessions is *strongly* encouraged.
Register here: https://forms.gle/Z9tGaetXKVo5QnH78

*Financially Supported by:

Accessible Information & Communication Legislation Information Workshop and Q&A

Posted in Library Technicians, Membership, Professional Development, and Trustees

This upcoming workshop and Q&A will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 (10:30-11:30am)

The session is free of charge and will be presented/recorded on Zoom

As we get closer to the Accessible Information & Communication Deadline for Libraries, are you slowly freaking out? Need some helpful guidance and tips to let you know it’s all going to be alright? Need someone to answer your questions like, right now?

You’re in luck!
Join Monika Bonsor (Manitoba Accessibility Compliance Secretariat), Meagan Richards (Public Library Services), and Clint Curle (South Interlake Regional Library) for an informative session to help you and your library be compliant and ready come May 1, 2024.

This will be a useful session for library staff, library board members, and library trustees.

Please submit questions ahead of time when you sign up using this Google Form.

Contact Kirsten Wurmann, Program Coordinator, Manitoba Library Association (kirsten.w@mla.mb.ca) for more information.

Better, Faster, Stronger: Making Your Library Practices More Efficient Through the Lean Approach

Posted in Membership, and Professional Development

Join the Education Institute (EI) for a conversation about Lean methodology and how it applies in every size library for any audience.

At its core, Lean is about leveraging the knowledge of staff to break down current practices and processes, and replace them with simpler, more efficient changes that require less effort. Best of all, adopting a Lean approach can lead to large time and even money-saving results. Discover how to benefit from the ‘less work, higher impact’ model!

Date & Time:
This is a two-part virtual workshop.
Part One – Monday, June 19 @ 2PM – 4PM ET
Part Two – Monday, June 26 @ 2PM – 4PM ET
Learning Objectives:
  • Gain a high-level understanding of Lean Methodology;
  • Learn how foundational lean principles, such as continuous improvement and huddles, can be applied in your library;
  • Identify library-specific areas and processes that have streamlining potential and see practical examples and applications.

Format
Webinar + Online Breakout Sessions (Please note: space is limited to 60 spots.)

Facilitators
Amanda French, Manager, Social Development (TPL); Lean Green Belt; ProSci Certified Change Management Specialist
Kenneth Leung, Lean Program Manager; Lean Master Black Belt, Professional Engineer, ProSci Change Management Certified

As a member of the Manitoba Library Association, you qualify for the EI membership rates.
Register today!

Call for Members – Intellectual Freedom Committee

Posted in Advocacy, and Professional Development

 Canadian Federation of Library Associations Logo

CFLA/FCAB’s Intellectual Freedom Committee is searching for THREE new members.  We welcome nominations from CFLA/FCAB member associations and self-nominations from members of CFLA/FCAB member associations. Once appointed to the Committee, the responsibility of members is to the Committee, not to the nominating body.

Call for Proposals – 50th Annual Workshop on Instruction in Library Use (WILU)

Posted in Conference, and Professional Development

The 2023 Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU) marks the 50th conference devoted to teaching and learning in libraries.

Presenters and attendees from Canada and beyond meet to discuss information literacy as it continuously evolves in various library settings.

The Program Committee invites proposals for the 50th edition of WILU hosted at McGill University located in Montreal, Québec, Canada from May 16 to 19, 2023.

Proposal requirements

Each proposal must contain:

  1. Name and e-mail address of primary contact
  2. Names and affiliations of other presenters
  3. Title and abstract (for the program should your proposal be accepted, up to 100 words)
  4. Description
    1. Presentation – up to 350 words
    2. Workshop – up to 500 words (include learning outcomes and active learning strategies)
    3. Panel discussion – up to 350 words

Proposals will be accepted until Monday, December 5, 2022 at midnight. Please note that presentations can be in English or in French.

To find out more check out the link here!

If you have questions or comments, please contact us at 2023wilu@gmail.com.